The Best Family SUV to Choose in 2023: A Review of the Hyundai Santa Fe

Verdict

When it comes to choosing the best family SUV in 2023 with up to 3 rows, look no further than Hyundai Motor’s Santa Fe. This spacious and versatile SUV offers everything a family needs.

The Good

• Generous interior space, including a 3rd row that can comfortably accommodate even 188cm tall individuals.
• Impressively quiet and serene driving experience.

The Bad

• Design may be subject to personal preferences.
• Higher price tag, with the top-level calligraphy trim reaching 50 million won.

Competitors

• Kia Santa Fe: A viable alternative with a more appealing design.
• Chevrolet Equinox: Not as popular, but worth considering for those on a tight budget.

The SUV market has been recently driven by the demand for vehicles with three rows of seats. This trend, initially prevalent in the North American market, has now become a global phenomenon. Hyundai Motor has been quick to respond to this trend, as seen in the 5th generation Santa Fe.

Design

Opinions on the new Santa Fe’s design are divided. While it may not be conventionally attractive, the angular body and intricate interior details give it an edgy and distinct appearance. The ‘H’ shape featured in the front and rear lamps, as well as the overall bumper design, can be polarizing. However, upon closer inspection, the Santa Fe exudes a cool and sophisticated aura. It boasts a length, width, and height of 4,830×1,900×1,720mm, offering a stable and commanding presence on the road.

The placement of the rear lamps appears to be well-suited for the overall body size. However, the straight lines of the rear and rear fender can create a concave visual effect, making the car appear smaller than it actually is.

On the inside, the Santa Fe is an epitome of refinement. The horizontally spread-out and upright dashboard exudes a rugged yet traditional SUV vibe. Two displays serve as the instrument panel and infotainment display, perfectly positioned in front of the driver. The air conditioning control buttons are a combination of physical and touch buttons, providing intuitive and precise control. The steering wheel, borrowed from the new Grandeur model, offers an improved grip and adds to the overall driving experience.

One of the Santa Fe’s strengths is its abundant storage space. The stacked dashboards provide tiered drawers, and the center console box offers versatile storage options.

The interior can comfortably seat up to 7 people (2+3+2 configuration). All seats offer ample air conditioning and storage space, along with USB-C type charging ports. The second-row passengers even have the luxury of window shades. The interior space rivals that of the larger Palisade, with special attention given to head space. Notably, the third row is surprisingly spacious, accommodating even tall adults. Though the high floor height may require a slight crouch, the Santa Fe offers practicality and functionality.

Performance

The 5th generation Santa Fe introduces a simplified powertrain lineup, featuring a 2.5 gasoline turbo and a 1.6 turbo hybrid. The test drive model was equipped with the 2.5 gasoline turbo, delivering a maximum output of 281 horsepower and a maximum torque of 43 kgm.

During the test drive, the Santa Fe exhibited familiar performance characteristics. Despite weighing 1,920 kg, the SUV handled the weight with ease, offering a smooth and responsive driving experience. The wet 8-speed DCT transmission has greatly improved, eliminating jolts during starts and shifts. The connection between engine RPM and acceleration has also been enhanced, providing a refined and precise driving sensation reminiscent of a well-made torque converter transmission.

The Santa Fe’s solid build quality and suspension settings ensure a comfortable and stable ride. The ride quality is notably improved compared to previous models, with reduced body sway. The lower center of gravity achieved through platform changes contributes to enhanced stability and reduced residual vibrations from the road. The Santa Fe successfully minimizes noise, including wind, exterior, engine, and road noise, creating a more enjoyable ride for families.

The second-row passengers may experience slight vibrations transmitted through the seats, but the overall noise levels remain acceptable. The third-row comfort is compromised by the noise and uneven shocks stemming from sitting on the rear axle. Nevertheless, considering the vehicle’s class, the Santa Fe offers a realistic and usable third-row space.

Price

The starting price for the new Santa Fe is 35.46 million won. The test car, equipped with additional options and the top-level calligraphy trim, had a price tag of 47.98 million won. Opting for the 4-wheel drive option would push the price beyond 50 million won.

However, the Santa Fe’s higher price is offset by its spacious interior, abundance of convenient features, and improved ride comfort. Furthermore, its impressive three-row space poses a serious challenge to its sibling, the Palisade. The initial interest sparked by the Santa Fe’s dramatic design change is likely to fuel strong sales.

Verdict

The best family SUV to choose in 2023, no need to worry if you need up to 3 rows

GOOD

– Spacious interior space, 3rd row where even 188cm men can sit

-Quiet silence

BAD

– Design likes and dislikes

-Santa Fe period won by 50 million… Is it acceptable?

Competitors

-Kia Santa Fe: The only refuge from Santa Fe’s goofy design

-Chevrolet Equinox: Are you selling it…?

The keyword penetrating the SUV market recently is ‘three row seats’. The trend that started in the North American market has now spread to a global trend. Hyundai Motor responds sensitively to these trends. The change that Santa Fe has had in the 5th generation of full change is also the reason why it is in this context.

Design.

The evaluation of the appearance of the new Santa Fe is divided into likes and dislikes. Certainly, the new Santa Fe is full of elements that avoid ‘photography’, including the angular body and the angular details inside. In addition, the ‘H’ shapes used for the front lamps, tail lamps and bumpers even cause awkwardness. It’s hard to make the Santa Fe look pretty at a glance.

Even so, the real Santa Fe is very cool. The angular body shape embodies solidity, and the H design exudes sophistication. The body size is 4,830×1,900×1,720mm length x width x height, respectively, which is slightly larger than before. This is why the sense of stability given by the familiar size comes first rather than greatness in the real world.

The position of the rear lamp, which is the center of the debate, appears to be appropriately positioned given the size of the body. The surprisingly difficult design to adapt to is the rear and rear fender lines. It is too straight, creating a concave visual effect that makes the car look small.

On the other hand, the inside is fixed no matter who sees it. The dashboard was spread out horizontally and stood upright. It is an element that creates a rugged atmosphere with a traditional SUV feel. Inside, two displays that served as an instrument panel and an infotainment display were intertwined and placed in front of the steering wheel.

The air conditioning control button was placed in front of the center tunnel by combining physical and touch buttons. All the operations are intuitive, and the senses are excellent with high build quality. In addition, the same shape of the steering wheel applied to the new Grandeur earlier has a better control feel in Santa Fe. This is the effect brought about by the combination of a high seat position unique to SUVs and a low dashboard.

The ample storage space is also a plus. Stacked dashboards provide tiered drawers. The top and bottom of the center tunnel are separated so that a smartphone wireless charging pad can be placed on the top and bulky luggage can be placed on the bottom. The center console box has space for long luggage and can be opened from the first and second rows, making it a multipurpose storage space.

The interior seat configuration can seat 7 people (2+3+2) based on the test ride. There is plenty of air conditioning and storage space in all seats. A USB-C type charging port is also available in each seat. Here, passengers in the second row can even use window shades.

The interior space is vast enough to threaten the older brother Palisade. It is a harmony created by the straight trunk line and the long roofline to the D-pillar. The knee space in the second row is similar to the previous one, but the head space has been specially expanded. The biggest change among them is column 3. It is a space where even a 188cm adult can sit. Of course, the floor is high on the rear axle, so you can’t avoid squatting. Nevertheless, it is meaningful that he has secured a space that can be used realistically rather than diversity.

Performance.

The powertrain evolved into the 5th generation and underwent simplification by eliminating the 2.0 diesel and 2.2 diesel. Now, there are two things left: a 2.5 gasoline turbo and a 1.6 turbo hybrid. The configuration in the test drive is 2.5 gasoline turbo. The maximum output is 281 horsepower, and the maximum torque is 43 kgm, which is exactly the same as before.

The actual feelings felt are no different from the past. At 1,920 kg (2.5 gasoline turbo + front wheel drive + 7-seat) based on the test drive, there is no shortage of handling the weight, which is much heavier than in the past. The same goes for the fact that the rpm increases in texture and sound.

However, the wet 8-speed DCT feel has improved to a high level. There is no jolting in the process of starting and moving. The direct link between engine RPM and actual acceleration feel has also been greatly improved. Overall, it feels like a well-made torque converter transmission.

The sense of the lower body is based on solidity. The degree of hardness is similar to that seen in the previous Santa Fe. On the other hand, the difference in ride comfort is great in situations where the body shakes to the left and right. If motion sickness was caused by unpleasant shaking of the head in the past, Shin Hyung has completely eliminated that feeling. This is thanks to a lower center of gravity through platform changes.

In addition, the ability to cancel the residual vibration of the road surface has been improved. Residual vibration is not only physical shaking, but also the impact sound created through the vibration transmitted by bumps to the car body creates great discomfort. The new Santa Fe greatly reduces noise in the general area, including wind noise, exterior noise, engine noise, and road noise, to realize a more comfortable ride for families to enjoy.

The comfort of the second row is slightly lower than the comfort of the first row. Small vibrations are transmitted to the thighs and back through the seat, but the feet placed under the first row seat are quiet. Noise is also different in the level of noise coming from the first row and the third row, causing an inconsistency in perception. It is clearly a good ride in the ‘Santa Fe’ class, but leaves room for improvement.

Next, it is difficult to rate the ride comfort of the third row highly as the noise coming through the side window and the uneven shock are greatly transmitted due to sitting on the rear axle. Nevertheless, considering the class of car, it is only satisfactory that it has secured realistic space in the third row.

Price.

The price of the new Santa Fe starts at 35.46 million won. The test car has a price tag of 47.98 million gained by adding several options to the top level calligraphy trim. If you add the 4-wheel drive option here, you’ll be in the period Santa Fe won 50 million.

However, the new Santa Fe includes several elements that offset the higher price. This includes spacious interior space, plenty of convenience specifications, and much improved ride comfort. In addition, it includes a realistic three row space, threatening the ‘brother’ Palisade seat. Therefore, the interest caused by the dramatic change in appearance is very likely to naturally lead to high sales.

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